The invention relates to providing extension modules for portable devices in order to accommodate additional functionality, and more particularly to extending an electrical interface on a mobile station while providing shelter to electronics inside the shell of an extender module.
Many communication stations such as a mobile phone today now have a low-power microprocessor within it. The versatility of the keypad user-interface and display gives some mobile phones the rudimentary capabilities of larger desktop computers. Because of the processing capabilities, combined with the communications capabilities of the modern mobile phone, there is an interest in adding on functionality, much the same way functionality is added to computers.
The acceptable form factor, i.e. the physical feel and size, for a mobile phone, is usually quite small, however. Frequently, the mobile phone or other mobile station is stored in a pocket or handbag. Some people treat such devices as a fashion accessory, preferring to display a phone while clipped onto, e.g. a belt. Because the market forces have driven such devices to small form factors, it is difficult to justify the provision of card slots, or motherboards to such a device.
Because of the particular use the mobile station is employed in, only minimum space and weight is allocated to docking the device to other devices. For example, two common accessories to dock to a mobile station""s docking connector are a) a power receptacle for bypassing internal batteries and/or charging of batteries; and b) a headset arrangement for providing two-way audio signals. The number of lead outputs necessary for such accessories is only a few. Thus, very little has been done to provide either strong mechanical connections durable for larger accessories; or high-bandwidth parallel signal interconnects, as are used, e.g. in the DB-25 computer standard.
Since interconnect to accessories or other modules is a secondary function to particularly mobile phones, such connections have evolved much later in the development of such devices.
Mobile stations frequently come in a form factor having three dimensions: height, width and thickness. A linear antenna, if a part of the mobile station, is typically oriented along the height dimension. A contoured front or cover to the mobile station is typically oriented along the dimensions of height and width. The height and width, are often the largest dimensions on the device, and a dimension of thickness extends between the front and the back of the mobile station.
Earlier attempts to build on optional functionality to a mobile station include providing one or more slide-on modules that affix to the back of the mobile station, thereby increasing the thickness of the device. Some such modules, increase the thickness so that the device is nearly as thick as the device is wide. While thickness is highly desirable in a wallet, it is seldom appreciated in a mobile phone, particularly when a thick phone is placed in a pants pocket. Such a design does have a redeeming virtue though. The slide-in module shares a broad common wall and rigidly connects along the outer perimeter of the mobile station""s silhouette. The profile or thickness of the slide-in module is also lower than the width of the slide-in modulexe2x80x94so there is little opportunity for a multiplication of force as might be caused by a high-profile, low-width module. In short, the slide-in module that attaches to the back of the mobile phone has a solid fit, and is not prone to dislodgment or failure when a lateral force is applied.
Nevertheless, any device that adds substantially to the thickness of the device may cause other problems. Some accessories accommodate only limited expansions in thickness. For example, a mobile phone charger stand typically props a mobile phone upright in a shallow pocket. The thickness of the opening of the pocket is the limiting factor for expansions in mobile phone thickness. So additional backside modules for a mobile phone may reduce the flexibility of support and charging available for users of the mobile phone.
Some after-market suppliers of accessories to phones provide new features and accessories by adding connector converters to the base of a mobile phone. As an example, Plantronics provides an adapter that converts a flat or planar connector at the base of a mobile phone to a jack receptacle. Such a connector extends in a length dimension from the mobile phone. If one considers the base of the adapter to be the junction where the adapter fastens to the mobile phone, the length of the adapter is much greater than any dimension of the base of the adapter. Any force appearing at orthogonal to the length at the outer extremity of the adapter (or lateral force), will cause the adapter to operate like a lever, and produce high levels of strain at the base, where the adapter latches in place. This leads to adapters shearing off at the mounting point where the adapter latches to the mobile phone.
The lever effect causes greater problems when a long adapter is attached to the base of a phone. Additional support, or protection, is needed against the occasional lateral force.
Some mobile phones have interchangeable covers. The cover often has holes for ingress and escape of sound or for buttons and other user interfaces. Generally, the cover extends to the edges of the front view of the mobile phone, i.e. covering the silhouette of the mobile phone. Though the cover may not cover the antenna, at least the base silhouette of most mobile phones is covered. The attachment of an adapter, or module, then, extends beyond the cover.
As mentioned, most manufacturers have made mobile phones to an acceptably small form factor for most consumers. Now it appears that a modest increase in length is acceptable, providing a significant new functionality is available. Because the typical mobile station offers enormous convenience in terms of battery charging, user interface, and portability, many electronics manufacturers want to make devices that share the battery, user interface and other hardware of the mobile station to provide increased usability by consumers. An MP3 player may be trimmed down in size substantially if a) the power source is external, b) the display and buttons are not required c) some ability to absorb shock is built into a host device. Much the same can be said for short-range radio frequency data transceivers, global positioning satellite receivers and many more hand-held devices.
To provide a means of interconnecting new modules in a manner acceptable to consumers, a maximum form factor must be observed, vibration and shock must be minimized to a module, and uniform profiles and contours should be maintained for module-augmented devices for continuing interoperability with accessories to a mobile station.
According to one or more embodiments, a mobile station with a docking connector is provided with an extender module. The embodiment may have a mobile station cover having a base portion and an upper portion. The upper portion mounts to the mobile station by at least one mounting point. The base portion of the embodiment has an upward facing connector that connects to the base of the mobile station. The base portion of the embodiment has a downward facing connector that has a shape the same as mobile station docking connector.
Another embodiment includes a shell that supports a first connector that is shaped to mateably engage a docking connector at the base of a mobile station. The first connector provides several conductors to a second connector at a distant end of the shell. The second connector has the same shape as the docking connector of the mobile station. The shell may be the same thickness as the mobile station. The shell may provide mounting points to be attached to an extended mobile station cover.
Embodiments of the invention could be used to provide a volume of space for electronics ancillary to the mobile station. An embodiment that has a mobile station cover embedded in it may provide a rigid and firm connection between the embodiment and the mobile station. In addition, more customized operation of a mobile station may be obtained when a user selects functionality provided as an after-market addition to the mobile station, wherein the functionality is electronics sheltered in an embodiment.